The archbishopric and electorate of
Trier was reigned by an elector. He
was sovereign and archbishop at the
same time. The bishopric itself was
larger than the area of his secular
power. After the chapter had elected
him he has been appointed archbishop by
the Pope and elector by the emperor. Although his function was
quite mundane the sovereign was advised by a court council and mostly
reigned absolutistic since the 16th
century. The last archbishop and
elector of Trier, Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony (1739-1812), commissioned an electoral palace close
to the bank of the Rhine in Koblenz.
He has been residing in the city
since 1786. The relocation of the
court and the clerical regency
changed the perception of the people
of Koblenz. In addition there were
numerous royalists who emigrated
from France and took shelter at the
court. In 1794 the biggest part of
the electorate was occupied by
French revolutionary troops during
the War of the First Coalition.
The territories on the left bank
of the Rhine were affiliated to
France in 1801 and so the departments of Sarre (administrated
in Trier) and Rhin-et-Moselle (ad-
ministrated in Koblenz) were
established. In 1893 the territories on the right bank of
the Rhine fell to Nasau-Weil-
burg and consequently Clemens
had to flee.